PSG Announcements
With the reboot of Popcorn, Soda, and Goobers comes a reboot of a feature we tried to write regularly a few months ago, the Weekend Round Up. It’s tough for one blog to cover all the great stuff out there and it’s always nice to check out some fresh perspectives. So, that’s what we hope to bring to you each week. Enjoy! Hopefully, there will be enough link outs here to keep you busy for most of the weekend. Feel free to submit links you think would be interested in the comments of this post.
We apologize for any downtime or awkward page loading this week, we’re still tweaking the site. We’d like to draw your attention to the addition of navigation links at the end of each post. Now, you can go back and read all of our archives chronologically.
Also, Flick4Friday, our weekly blog meme is back up and running. We do encourage you to check it out and hopefully join in on our little game.
New Trailers
Shotgun Stories
Only in limited release in theaters nationwide. It’s playing in a few places already. Special thanks to RowThree for bringing this one to our attention.
I admittedly have not seen the first Hellboy, but it seemed to get good reviews by critics despite a tepid performance at the box office. For what it’s worth, it seems every blog in the world posted this trailer this week. I figured we’d join in.
And, for more links of interests. Read on after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »
Shine a Light (imdb | get tickets)
Got a chance to get a sneak peak at Shine a Light, the new Imax movie about the Rolling Stones, last night and I really recommend it for Stones fans and non-Stones fans alike. The movie is basically a filming of two 2006 Stone’s performances at the Beacon Theater in New York City. It’s directed by Martin Scorcese and is really just a gorgeous piece of film work and the first time I ever really appreciated the Imax experience.
To me, Imax movies tend to be a little gimmicky. All you get is a bigger screen and usually a weird line of sight. For example, 300 in Imax left most viewers staring directly at a pack of digitally enhanced abs. Good for some. Not so fun for me. Shine a Light gets everything right. Clearly, Martin Scorcese understood the effect he wanted to create for the viewer and armed with 16 cameras, he delivers a truly entertaining and awe-inspiring experience. Everything down from the scene cuts timed perfectly with the rhythm of a song to the color drenched shots of the McJagger and Keith Richards to the precisely angled shots from the the audience, conveyed energy, fun, and passion. I found myself so immersed that I almost started clapping after a set of songs and was hard pressed not to get up from my seat and wave my cell phone around when the lights dimmed.
While a lot of credit has to go to Scorcese for putting together such a good documentary, I really have to tip my cap to McJagger and the Stones. They’re so old, yet they’re still going out there giving these upbeat, physically taxing shows. I wasn’t a Rolling Stones fan before this movie, mostly because I had no idea who they were. But, I sure as hell am now. As entertaining and engrossing as this movie was, I’m sure actually being at the Beacon Theater in 2006 was better. Heck, with the guest appearances by Bill Clinton, Buddy Guy, and Christina Aguilera, how could it not have been? It’s one thing to see legends and terrific performers together on screen. It must be jaw dropping to see it live.
Don’t be fooled by this movie’s description of a documentary. There are some very cool and well-timed clips of the Stones doing interviews from years ago, but the movie focuses mostly on the performance and music of the Rolling Stones. The experience feels more like going to a concert than an Imax theater. It’s beautiful, it’s fun, and it’s a celebration of more than just the Rolling Stones, but of the whole culture they’ve spawned. Thoroughly memorable.
5 out of 5 guitar picks thrown into the crowd
Shine a Light opens in Imax theaters nationwide April 4, 2008. Skip the box office lines and buy movie tickets online at Fandango.
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
So, this week’s Flick4Friday prompt was to recommend a movie that could have been truly good if it wasn’t too long. I think Lord of the Rings: Return of the King has to win this category hands down. Not only was it too long to begin with. It was part of a trilogy of movies which all-in-all was probably much longer than it had to be. Sorry, die hard J.R.R. Tolkien fans. Sometimes, parts of the book have to go to the chopping block!
After a relatively disappointing Two Towers, this movie had the chance to be great. As a whole, I still love the series of movies. I just can’t help but think there’d be a lot more impact if they concentrated on the best scenes instead of every minute detail. A directors mantra should be to move the story along. The Return of the King had so many really moving moments and grand triumphs over the bad guy, but after a while the slow pace and redundant scenes took away from the impact.
I love battles as much as anyone. But, how many long drawn out battle scenes do we need in the movie? It just gets anti-climactic. Do we need to hang out in Rohan for the entire first half of the movie even though nothing really happens? Is it really necessary to have Sam and Frodo look longingly into each others eyes for the last half of the movie? I can’t even imagine an extended edition of this movie. They should have released a special edition that was less than three hours long. The best part of watching this one at home, scene skipping. Feel free to turn it off after the first ending too.
What do you think? What movie do you think would be great if they were just a little bit liberal in making cuts? Feel free to write a post on your own blog and link back here or on Flick4Friday. I’ll even throw this one in. The best response gets an invite to a free screening of a hotly anticipated new comedy at 6:00PM this Thursday (April 3) in New York City. Yea, it’s short notice, so get your fingers typing!
Finally, after a few weeks of work and probably a few awkward nights for people who visit this site late, I’m happy to announce the launch of Popcorn, Soda, and Goobers Version 2. Let me introduce you to a few of the new features:
- A new logo and more prominent placement of other PSG initiatives: Flick4Friday and our DVD store. We’re hoping that readers out there will more actively participate in these two little initiatives of ours.
- Trailer of the Moment. Every time the site loads, you’ll see one of five trailers for movies that we’re antsy to see in the coming months.
- New Post Navigation. We’ve decided to re-organize our posts in hopes of making it easier for you to find the content you’re looking for. In our sidebar, we broke out special feature categories and a chronological view of our five most recent posts.
- New Post Organization. As part of the new post organization, we also have three main categories: In Theaters, On DVD, and Articles to feature our posts reviewing various movies and providing opinion pieces. These boxes will help direct you to the posts you’re looking for.
- Search. Rather than the calendar system we were using for archived posts. We realize it might be easier to look up posts directly. For any posts you want to find from way back just type and go.
- Consolidated Links. We’ve jumped on the trend for loaded blog footers. Here, you’ll find links to other great sites and more information on Popcorn, Soda and Goobers.
In addition to these design features, you’ll find an implementation of Digg. We hope you’ll make sure to Digg your favorite posts here at PSG. Also, with the new version comes a few new regular features to complement our free form schedule of reviews and editorial articles.
First, we’ll be providing updates for weekly DVD releases every Monday to help you stay on top of new movies to add to your Netflix or pick up for your collection. Second, every Wednesday, we’ll be posting our response to our weekly Flick4Friday prompt. When better to get thinking about a flick for Friday than on Hump Day? Finally, we’re bringing back the Weekly Roundup posts every Saturday in hopes to give you a sample of the best posts and videos we can find around the web.
As you can tell, PSG version 2 is not just a face lift. We’re changing it all up! To stay up to date and make sure you don’t miss anything, we really suggest you subscribe to our RSS feed. It’s easy to do, just click the links in our side navigation.
Zombie Strippers (imdb | official site)
Actually, before the action packed thriller comes to DVD, Jenna Jameson will be coming to a theater near you. And, no, it’s not the one with the blacked out windows and dimly lit parking in the back. She’s coming to your local cineplex and only carrying an R rating. That’s right, Zombie Strippers just got a theatrical release.
I guess when you’re almost 35, it’s about time to get a job you can talk to your family about. Don’t worry though, the movie still promises “Live Dead Nudes.” It’s good to see that Jenna is taking a slow and steady approach to a career as an actress. She’s just chasing every little girl’s dream - 5th grade play, high school musical, porn, schlock, Oscar. That’s the typical progression, right?
The movie’s only going to a limited theatrical release (April 18th and 25th) and then its straight to DVD (just like the rest of Jenna’s beloved films). You dirty bastards can check the full list of showtimes after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »
Pineapple Express (imdb | official site)
In case you’ve been hiding your head in the sand for the last few months, Judd Apatow has a new film coming out called Pineapple Express. Seth Rogan writes and acts again and, as usual, it’s hilarious. I just had a chance to see a test screening and I’m pretty sure I laughed like 80% of the time. Not just chuckles, either. The kind of laughs that leave you feeling like you just had an ab workout even though all you did was eat a tub of popcorn with extra butter.
Pineapple Express is set for U.S. release in August 2008. I’ll have a full review ready closer to the release date. Stay tuned!
Wristcutters (imdb | dvd
Okay, I admit I may have stole the quirky title from their official tagline. But, I can’t think of any other one-liner which sums up the movie better. Wristcutters is a dark comedy about a strange afterlife made for people who kill themselves. It’s based on the short story, “Kneller’s Happy Campers
The movie follows the story of Zia (Patrick Fugit), a college kid who commits suicide after breaking up with his girlfriend. Little does he know, the afterlife for people who commit suicide is really just a strange version of reality that’s just a bit worse than real life. Things are older, duller, and everything including the people seems a little bit broken. Zia makes friends with Eugene (Shea Whigham), a rocker who killed himself by pouring a beer on his guitar, and they waste away their days in purgatory until one day Zia learns that his ex-girlfriend committed suicide as well and is somewhere in the afterlife. Zia and Eugene set off on a roadtrip to find her and meet up with a hitchhiker, Mikhal (Shannyn Sossamon). Mikhal is intent on finding “the people in charge” as she believe she’s been sent to this afterlife by mistake. Together, the three journey into the vast wasteland around them meeting various new characters and discovering sides of themselves that they never knew existed.
While Wristcutters is billed as a comedy, it is definitely not a laugh out loud riot and you shouldn’t go in expecting it. The humor is portrayed through deadpan dialogue and on screen gaffes similar in some ways to a Wes Anderson movie. For example, all the characters who populate Zia’s afterlife carry marks of how they killed themselves when in the real world. In another example, we see that Zia works at Kamikaze Pizza and that Eugene has an affinity for Dead Guy Ale. The movie even takes some time to poke fun at the “black hole” under your car seat. You know, that area where you never seem to be able to find anything that you dropped?
Thankfully, quirkiness and on-screen gaffes is not all this movie offers (which can’t quite be said of some Wes Anderson movies). The movie provides a wonderfully simple story that, despite the dark setting, is truly optimistic about life itself. The three main characters are funny, deep, and well-explored and the movie is shot beautifully lending a whimsical air to the viewing experience. The concept is unique and refreshing and you really have to see it to appreciate it. If you liked Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind
4 out of 5 slices of Kamikaze Pizza
The Other Boleyn Girl (imdb | book
Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson, can it get any better? Yes. Yes, it can. My girlfriend wanted to see this movie because she was really interested in seeing a drama about princesses and loves medieval costumes. I obliged figuring that a movie about a love triangle between Eric Bana, Natalie Portman, and Scarlett Johansson Henry Tudor and the Boleyn sisters had to be good. Come on. This is the story of Henry Tudor, a lustful horn dog, and the two sisters who vie for his affections. It’s supposed to include beheadings, sexual conquest, and accusations of incest. It’s tailor made to be turned into a high-drama Hollywood flick - and it sure has the cast t do it.
The Other Boleyn Girl is based on the book
Young Mary (Scarlett Johansson) is told by her parents to court King Henry (Eric Bana) despite the fact that she’s already married. They believe that it will be better for the whole family as they will all become members of the royal court. Even Mary’s husband, Sir William Carey, signs on to the deal. Mary is assisted by her quick-witted brother, George (Jim Sturgess), and her scheming sister, Anne (Natalie Portman). The plan is successful though it drives a rift between Anne and Mary. Eventually, a jealous Anne decides to scheme against her sister and win the King’s affections for herself. Anne succeeds but does not realize the trouble she has gotten herself into as the King expects Anne to bear him a son and proper heir to the throne. Anne is unable to, and after a miscarriage, is desperate to hide the truth from the King. She attempts to coerce her brother into helping her get pregnant again, but is eventually ratted out by another member of the court. She and George are sentenced to death. Mary, kind hearted as always, tries to save them, but is forced to run away with her children to live out the rest of her life in the country.
Unfortunately, it seems that somewhere or along the line everyone decided to get together and turn this film into the kind of film 5th grade teachers show their students. The movie feature gorgeous costume and set design, but provides little more beyond it. The sex scenes are limited and lukewarm. The acting is forced and lacks passion. And, the whole story moves at a snails pace with far too many peripheral characters who exist only for fleeting scenes. All-in-all, the whole thing comes out flat and slow.
2-2.5 royal jewels out of 5
Enchanted tells the story of a Disney fairy tale princess, Giselle (Amy Adams), being cast into the real world by an evil queen who doesn’t want her son, the prince, to fall in love and take her throne. And, while the princess believes that life is about love at first sight and magical assistance from talking animals, everything changes when she meets Robert Philip (Patrick Dempsey), a New York City divorce lawyer who also happens to be a single father who’s wife left him. The princess is forced to confront reality (haha… double entendre) and decide exactly with whom she would like to share “true love’s kiss.”
The trailer for this movie made it look silly and thoroughly uninteresting, and I have to admit if it weren’t for a childish affinity to Disney movies and a desire to relate to my younger cousins, I would never have gone to watch it. I’m glad I did though. If you enjoyed Disney’s High School Musical and grew up on Disney fairy tales, you’re going to love Enchanted. It’s High School Musical
It’s too bad that Disney can only seem to make its animated fairy tales work by poking fun at them. And, what does it say about us that we relate more to a movie about broken families and divorce than about fairy godmothers and dreams coming true. The good news is that Enchanted still delivers on the happily-ever-after front and, in many ways, still brings the very Disney themes of magical intervention, dreams coming true, and finding true love into the 21st century.
4 out of 5 wishing stars
Enchanted is being released on DVD today
Hey everyone! This post is really for the New York City dwellers who read this blog. We’ve got the heads up on a screening for an Untitled British Comedy featuring Simon Pegg, Kirsten Dunst, and Megan Fox. It’s going to be Tuesday, March 18th at 7:30pm.
In fact, if you choose to go, you’ll be part of the first American audience to see an uncut version of this film and based on your responses they may change the film and give it a title. Though, if you’re anything like us at Popcorn, Soda and Goobers, you probably already know and love the proposed title of this film. (We posted a trailer a few months ago… shhh.)
Use the contact form after the jump to submit your name, age, and occupation to get a pass.
Edit March 16, 2008 11:20PM: Sorry, the screening is now full. Please subscribe to our RSS feed to stay up to date on all our posts!
